What Does Prince Andrew Actually Do Now?

We haven't heard much about Prince Andrew recently. Ever since he gave up royal work after a scandal over his ties to pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the Duke of York has largely kept out of the public eye.

But what is it that Prince Andrew actually does now that he's not representing the Royal Family? Click through the gallery here for the latest news on the disgraced son of The Queen and how he's spent the last year.

If you need a refresher: Prince Andrew's downfall began in 2019 when his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein got him in serious hot water. The American millionaire was a convicted sex offender who was also being investigated for the sex trafficking of minors when he died in his jail cell in August 2019.

The Duke of York had well-documented connections to Epstein, including an incriminating photograph of him posing with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and an underage girl who also accused Andrew of sexual abuse.

Virginia Giuffre is the girl pictured here with Prince Andrew. She's a survivor of Epstein's child sex trafficking ring, and she accuses Andrew of abusing her when she was 17. She's also now suing the Duke in 2021 for the alleged sexual assault.

We should note that Prince Andrew was never charged with a crime for his connections to Epstein or the abuse allegations. There have, however, been conflicting reports between investigators and the Duke's representatives on whether or not he has cooperated with inquiries on Epstein.

And it all came crashing down for Prince Andrew when he tried to defend himself amid the scandal in a late-2019 BBC interview. Shortly after, in early 2020, it was confirmed the Duke would step back from representing the Royal Family as a result of the scandal.

So, it's been over a year since Prince Andrew left behind his royal work. What's he been doing in the meantime?

Since May 2020, Prince Andrew has largely avoided the spotlight, while the Royal Family has stood by him despite the scandal. And that's mostly been the story for him over the past year-plus.

The Duke has attended just two well-known public outings over that time: for the wedding of his daughter Princess Beatrice in July 2020, and no photos with him were released, reportedly due to the outrage they would likely cause; and for the funeral of his father Prince Philip in April 2021.

At Prince Philip's funeral, Prince Andrew walked in the procession with his family members, who have not distanced themselves from him despite the scandal. There, the Duke took advantage of his rare day out as he invited and spoke to the press about his father.

And, reportedly, the royals — especially Prince Charles — didn't endorse Prince Andrew speaking at the funeral, but they could not "stop him" from doing so as it was a private event, a royal courtier told the Daily Mail.

Though he's been limited to two family events in the last year, Prince Andrew hasn't exactly been shut away indoors. He's living a sheltered life, but the British press has captured photos of him driving and engaged in activities around royal residences.

Daily Mail spotted the Duke at Balmoral with his family late last year, and he's been seen riding the horses in Windsor several times in 2021. Daily Mail even noted that he looked "at ease" on horseback as he chatted with a woman.

It's believed Prince Andrew still lives at Royal Lodge, where he's shielded on the secluded royal estate of Windsor Great Park. And that's about where his year since the Epstein scandal stood until Virginia Giuffre filed a new lawsuit against him in August 2021.

He has also now made his annual trip to Balmoral in August 2021, as he once again faces criticism for the serious allegations and his response to the Epstein controversy.

The Royal Family has been caught up in big headlines — such as the Oprah interview — since Prince Andrew's downfall, but many royal watchers and critics remain perplexed by the lack of news on the Duke of York and the family's seeming protection of him. We did see Andrew at the Queen's funeral in September. However, we aren't certain what he will be doing now. You know you'll hear it if there's news on the Royal Family's most controversial member and the new lawsuit against him. Stay tuned.